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Morgantown may well be the king of river walks. Several different streamside trails, with a combined mileage of more than 45 miles, connect with the Caperton Trail. The latter, a paved pathway, parallels the Monongahela River for close to six miles, taking in just about everything that makes a river walk worthwhile.
A veggie Reuben and a cheese Panini lunch at Terra Café began our exploration of the route near its northern end. The emotionally charged JFK Memorial brought forward progress to a halt just a few moments after we started, as the life-size sculpture depicts young John-John saluting his slain father.
The Core Arboretum’s three miles of dirt pathways drew us off the Caperton Trail to wander through 95 acres of hillside and floodplain. We were here in early fall, so the conservation area’s celebrated spring flowers were long gone, but we were compensated by autumn’s colorful leaves.
Back on the main route, Laurie did some holiday gift buying at the Quilt Shop in Seneca Center, a repurposed glass factory. It beckons trailside with boutique shops and restaurants, along with an exhibit of products from the area’s many former glassworks.
The Historic Downtown Morgantown Walking Tour (downtownmorgantown.com) encouraged another detour, which led to more shopping in the circa 1785 Old Stone House. Proceeds from the sale of items by regional artists are donated to local charities.
After returning to the trail, we watched herons, ducks and kingfishers float by the river’s edge, while farther out, huge coal barges drifted by. We arrived at Table 9 just as dinner time rolled around. Its picture windows and patio kept our focus on the river as local brews poured freely from the taps.
The day came to an end at the Marriott at Waterfront Place, located a short distance from the trail’s southern end. The hotel’s shuttle drivers, who usually provide rides to the airport, will take guests to points along the Caperton Trail if their schedule permits.
The conversation with our driver, WVU student Mike Barno, turned to why he chose to go to school in Morgantown.
“I grew up in northeast Ohio and always liked to hike, but almost everything near home was cornfields,” he told us. “I came here because, first of all, I liked the idea of going to a big school located within a small town, but also because I knew that I could be hiking on a trail just a few minutes’ walk from my room.”
